It should be said again, however, that French audiences regard the work with far more favour than we do. "In France," says Storck, in his Opernbuch, "the work, perhaps not unjustly, is regarded as Gounod's best achievement, and has correspondingly numerous performances."
[Ambroise Thomas]
MIGNON
Opera in three acts by Ambroise Thomas, words, based on Goethe's "Wilhelm Meister," by Barbier and Carré. Produced, Opéra Comique, Paris, November 17, 1866. London, Drury Lane, July 5, 1870. New York, Academy of Music, November 22, 1871, with Nilsson, Duval (Filina), Mlle. Ronconi (Frederick) and Capoul; Metropolitan Opera House, October 21, 1883, with Nilsson, Capoul, and Scalchi (Frederick).
Characters
| Mignon, stolen in childhood from an Italian castle | Mezzo-Soprano |
| Philine, an actress | Soprano |
| Frédéric, a young nobleman | Buffo Tenor or Contralto |
| Wilhelm, a student on his travels | Tenor |
| Laertes, an actor | Tenor |
| Lothario | Bass |
| Giarno, a gypsy | Bass |
| Antonio, a servant | Bass |
Townspeople, gypsies, actors and actresses, servants, etc.
Time—Late 18th Century.